Ageha
Ageha (in Japanese: 朱刃, Red Blade) is a kunoichi (lady ninja) who is a member of the Oboro Clan and a minor antagonist in the 2002 videogame Shinobi. She betrayed her fellow Oboro ninjas and revived Hiruko Ubusuna in order to bring Moritsune back to life. Ageha was once Hotsuma's friend. She fell in love with his brother early on in life, so she never understood how Hotsuma cared for her. When Moritsune was killed by Hotsuma, she was devastated, and unable to forgive the Oboro for forcing the brothers to fight, or Hotsuma for killing him, she abandons the clan and goes rogue. Her judgment clouded by loss, grief, rage, and revenge, she seeks a way to restore her beloved back to the world of the living. History Early Life A tomboyish young girl of the Oboro clan village, Ageha was a childhood friend of Hotsuma and Moritsune. When they were children they would often play together. Raised under her foster father and mentor, the clan's elder chief Kobushi, her childhood seemed ideal. There were very few kunoichi in the Oboro who did not long for Moritsune, who was touted as a prodigy and the first candidate for leadership, and Ageha was no exception. The Demon Blade; The Tragic Destined Duel One day, while playing the trio found the temple of the Oboro clan. Ageha went inside first, and found a chest. She opened the chest and found a crimson sword inside. Hotsuma sensed they would be in trouble if Kobushi found out, and told Ageha to put it back, but Ageha refused, and claimed the sword as her own. But as soon as she drew the blade, an evil glow emanated from the sword, and a terrified Ageha found herself unable to let go. Moritsune sent Hotsuma to fetch Kobushi, while Moritsune tries to get Ageha from the sword. He grabs the sword and remembers a story from his grandfather about a soul eating sword. Realizing that the sword she's holding is that sword, she watches in horror as Moritsune strikes his own face with it to save her. Kobushi and Hotsuma arrive and find her safe, but are mortified to see Moritsune holding the blade, his face forever scarred. After that horrid experience, the three learned that the sword they found, Akujiki, was to be used to determine the clan's next heir. To her horror it meant that both Hotsuma and Moritsune would be forced to kill each other over it. Over their ten years of training, Ageha slowly developed feelings of endearment towards Moritsune, which ultimately grew into romantic love for him. The duel for succession occurred on a full moon in the summer, as cherry blossoms danced in the winds. Ageha did not want the two siblings to go through with it. Kobushi commands her to stand down, with the kunoichi declaring the match and the tradition insanity. Kobushi tries in vain to console her, when at the final moment, she was forced to watch as Moritsune dies at Hotsuma's hands. Ageha's Betrayal After the death of Moritsune, the heartbroken Ageha in her grief abandoned the village. Bitter and resenting the clan for what it had done to Moritsune, she became a Nuke-nin (抜け忍; rogue ninja). She would not be seen for four years until a run-in with Hotsuma in the ruins of Tokyo. After learning of the village's destruction she showed no sympathy for the Oboro. She also noted that Hotsuma had no qualms about fighting the Oboro, even though they're already dead, displaying her disdain towards him. Ageha vehemently blurted out that Hotsuma was the "leader of nothing", which Hotsuma coldly shrugs off and leaves her alone. After Hotsuma's run in with the mysterious masked ninja, she finds Hotsuma on the Kumano shrine grounds, struggling with keeping his sword under control. She reveals that Akujiki's slumber has been broken, and now Hotsuma must kill endlessly or die by the demon blade's gluttony. As Hotsuma recovers from the ordeal she looks for Kobushi throughout the complex, and finds him at the main shrine. The two are attacked by a Hellspawn possessed military chopper, but are rescued by Hotsuma. After Kobushi sends Hotsuma to assassinate Hiruko and save the shrine's guardian, Ageha watches as her beloved mentor breaths his last breath. Ageha would appear to Hotsuma once again after Kagari Ubusuna is captured by the masked ninja. She tells him that Hiruko is rebuilding Yatsurao, a Hellspawn Weapon at the Nakatomi Conglomerate's factory. As Hotsuma darts off to find the insane mage, Ageha watches on silently. After Hotsuma defeated Yatsurao, Ageha intercepts him at the Kan'ei temple grounds. She reveals that it was she who broke Hiruko from his bonds, and attacks a disheartened Hotsuma, laying her hatred for the Oboro out as they fought. She reveals the dark purpose behind the duel four years ago; it was not to decide the next leader of the Oboro Household, it was to keep Akujiki suppressed by feeding it a sacrifice; since Moritsune offered his soul to the sword once before, he was the perfect candidate as a sacrifice. Hotsuma in his anguish towards her betrayal and this horrid revelation, asks if that's why she had the Oboro killed. Too guilty to answer, she raises her sword to her former friend, determined to keep him from interfering. In the end she lost, but Hotsuma stayed his bloodthirsty blade, refusing to murder another loved one. Ageha took the opportunity and flees, running to Hiruko to see if Moritsune has been revived. Upon seeing Moritsune alive, she happily embraces him, only to be murdered by him seconds later, much to her shock and confusion as she cried out Moritsune's name. Hiruko gloats that she was going to die at her lover's hand, even though he was possessed by Aomizuchi, the last of the four Hellspawn Lords. After Hotsuma exorcizes Aomizuchi from Moritsune's body, the true Moritsune warmly greets Hotsuma. He decides to take Ageha with him into Akujiki, where she is now able to be together with him forever like she wanted. Personality Initially Ageha started out as a caring friend to Hotsuma and Moritsune. As a child she was shown to be a tomboyish and rambunctious young girl, always getting into mischief. When she found Akujiki, she refused to cut Moritsune with it when he told her to to save her own life, and when he saved her, she fell in love with him, and never understood how Hotsuma felt about her. But once Moritsune died, she was consumed by grief and anguish, that she couldn't stay in the Oboro clan anymore, blaming its traditions for what it had done to Moritsune. Driven insane by grief, she broke the Oboro taboo gambling saving Moritsune by freeing the clan's mortal enemy from his imprisonment and killing the Oboro off in revenge. After meeting Hotsuma after four long years, she was quick to show her disdain with mock compliments of his leadership of the clan, showing that she still despised him for Moritsune's death. While occasionally giving Hotsuma clues, she was so sure she'd get Moritsune back, she didn't notice that it wasn't him, showing her judgment completely eschewed. Even in death she thought that Aomizuchi was Moritsune, ignorant of the fact that Hiruko was manipulating her the whole time. Relationships *Hotsuma: As children, Ageha and Hotsuma were close friends, she saw him as a little brother. Both of them loved Moritsune, and she wanted nothing more than to be with him forever as his love. When Hotsuma was forced into killing him, Ageha was devastated, and not only did she resent the Oboro clan for its insane tradition that led to the duel, she couldn't stay because of the fact that her own best friend killed the man she loved. Hotsuma was hurt even more so when Ageha abandoned the clan; a time he needed her the most, and as a result when they met after four years, Hotsuma coldly brushes her off as, making it painfully clear what he thought of her. Even so, Hotsuma cared, but she was blinded by her hatred of the Oboro to the point of attempting to kill him to keep him away from Hiruko to bring back Moritsune. *Moritsune: As children, Moritsune and Ageha were very close friends. Ageha all but worshipped him, and Moritsune did anything for her and Hotsuma. When Moritsune cursed himself by offering a piece of his own Yang to Akujiki to save her from the sword, she fell in love with him. As they grew up she openly protested against the Oboro's succession ritual known as the Duel Ceremony, and tried in vain to interfere. After Moritsune's death, she went rogue, unable to forgive the Oboro for taking her beloved from her. She wanted him back so desperately she broke the seal to Hiruko Ubusuna's prison, and her actions resulted in the slaughter of the Oboro and the ruination of countless lives in Tokyo. After she was killed by Aomizuchi, the true Moritsune took her with him into Akujiki, and while not the way she intended, the two are now together forevermore as she wished. *Kobushi: He was a father figure to Ageha, as he was to Hotsuma, Moritsune, and the other young Jonin. When Moritsune died, Kobushi was devastated that Ageha became a rogue ninja. After Hiruko escaped from Kumano Shrine, Kobushi was left with a life threatening injury, and Ageha tried in vain to care for him. She cried when Kobushi died, heartbroken at the loss of her foster father and master. 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